Charcuterie Boards are all the rage right now, as they should be. Anything that celebrates meat and cheese is good in my book.

There are tons of inspiration pages and Pinterest boards that can inspire your charcuterie board. And plenty of companies that will build them for you. In Charleston, you gotta go with NoshBoards Charleston. NoshBoards are stunning, unique, and so yummy – a true treat for any party.  You can also take classes to learn how to create charcuterie boards. My friend and I learned all the tricks including how to make salami roses. The most important tips we learned were to artistically arrange the board and include unique ingredients like herbs or candy to add flair to the board.

In the past few years, I have created several charcuterie boards and I want to share some of the tips I have learned through trial and error with you.

And having worked in customer service since I was a child, I am all about the user experience. I always think about questions my guests will have and anything that might get in the way of enjoying themselves, so you will see that several of my tips below are focused on your guests.

1. Variety is the biggest difference between a meat & cheese tray and a charcuterie board. Make sure to include several cheeses and meats as well as many items from below. This increases the visual aesthetic and appeals to different tastes. Afterall, variety is the spice of life, right?
   1. Nuts
   2. Crackers
   3. Breads
   4. Dried & fresh fruit
   5. Fruit spreads
   6. Fresh & pickled vegetables
   7. Liquids such as honey, oils, and vinegars
2. The salami roses – while beautiful – are almost too beautiful. I find that guests don’t want to be the first one to pull the rose apart. I have had several boards where the meat is never touched. So minimize the number of roses you make – maybe just make one for decoration – and add layered meats so they are easy to access.

3. The same is true for those cute jars of jam or honey – no one wants to be first to dip into the jam. So you should be the one to do it – dive in so your guests know it is acceptable for them to do so too.
4. Include a small bowl for the used toothpicks and even add a used toothpick to the bowl – show them what to do with their used toothpicks so they don’t have to figure it out on their own.
5. Go for a theme – Christmas with sugared cranberries and candy canes or Southern with pimento cheese, pickled okra, and boiled peanuts.

6. Describe what you have included so your guests don’t have to guess. What kind of cheese, is the cracker gluten-free, etc.
7. The best charcuterie boards are pieces of art. The prettier it is, the more engaged your guests will be! Consider herbs, unusual fruit, candy, or flowers to show off the beautiful spread you have put together. Rosemary sprigs, a pomegranate or dragonfruit cut into quarters, Hershey’s kisses or lollipops, pansies – so many options to consider!

Include these tips at your next party to put your charcuterie board over the top and wow your guests!